Lubricating device



mh 9, 193?. A, C; DAM/ER 2,072,855

LUBRICATING DEVICE I n i J.

March 9, 137. A. c. DANvl-:R

LUBRICATING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 13, 1934 Patented Mar. 9, 1937 ATES PATENT FFICE 15 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for handling iluids, and more particularly to a device for supplying lubricant to internal combustion engines or motors.

One object of the invention is to provide a device for lubricating internal combustion engines that is operative While the engine is at rest to segregate a measured quantity of lubricant for injection into the motor upon starting, and to thereafter continuously supply the lproper amount of lubricant while the engine is run-l ning, without altering or affecting the proper carburation of the fuel. v

other object of the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated for introducing a heat resisting and decarbonizing Ahibricant directly into the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine to decompose the carbon formed by previous combustion and deposited o on the pistons and other parts, as Well as lubrieating the bearings.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel apparatus for continuously supplying the lubricant at a predetermined rate by capillary action.

Still another object oi the invention is to provide a device of the type indicated that is simple and compact in construction and reliable and emcient in operation.

Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specication which describes a preferred form of construction of the invention, by way of example, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. i is a side elevation of the lubricating device shown as connected to the intake manifold oi an internal combustion engine;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved device;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in elevation of the device taken on line 3 8 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view in elevation of the device taken on line il-t of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a composite perspective view of the main operating elements of the device showing the method of assembling the parts thereof.

The improved uid-supplying or lubricating device comprises, in general, a main reservoir for containing a supply of lubricant and a smaller reservoir or measuring chamber arranged within the reservoir and connected to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine for supplying measured quantities of lubricant thereto. The present invention relates particularly to a capillary element between the main reservoir and measuring chamber for continuously supplying lubricant to the measuring chamber at.' a predetermined rate, which, in turn, segregates a measured charge of the lubricant that is supplied to the motor in starting and thereafter continu ously supplies the proper amount of the lubricant in the form of a spray while the engine is running. More speciiically, the capillary element comprises one or more wicks that draw lubricant from the main reservoir and deposit it in the measuring chamber by capillary action. Through these wicks the lubricant is positively and uniformly supplied to the chamber to be subsequently drawn into the motor by the suction thereof.

Referring to Fig. l of the drawings, the lubri eating system is shown as including a unitary lubricating device operatively connected to the intake manifold of any conventional form of in-= ternal combustion engine. The device is adapted to be mounted upon the sides of the motor cylinder block. the dash of an automobile or any other suitable support by means of a bracket as will hereinafter appear.

The device comprises a-reservoir 2 preferably in the form of a cylindrical glass jar having its open end provided with external screw threads on the sides adjacent the top for receiving a sheet-metal annulus or ring 5 that is screwed thereover. The ring 5 has an inwardly directed ange portion ii that overlies the upper rim of the jar 2 to provide a smooth at surface upon which a top plate or cover Il rests with an annular impregnated or fiber gasket l interposed between the rim of the jar 2 and the ange. The under side of the cover 4 is recessed as indicated at 9 to receive an annular cork gasket IG that rests upon the flange 6 of the reservoir when the parts are assembled. A U-bolt Ii is employed for securing the parts together having a crosspiece i2 that engages the bottom of the jar 2 and legs i3 that extend upwardly through apertures I4 in the cover. The ends of the legs I3 of the bolt II are threaded to receive nuts I5 that draw the jar 2 and the cover 4 together and at the same time compress the gaskets l and I0 to provide an air-tight seal. Between the nuts I5 and the cover are lock-washers I6 for rigidly holding the nuts in adjusted position.

'I'he top plate or cover l is provided with suitable supporting brackets I1 on one side that are apertured for connection with a supporting structure. The top of the cover is also provided with an upstanding boss I8 having an axial bore or aperture I8 that communicates with the interior of the reservoir 2 to serve as a' filler opening through which lubricant may be intro- 'duced. The opening I8 is normally closed by a lid 20 constructed from. sheet-metal and hinged in a manner as will later appear. The lid 20 is of inverted cup-shape having marginal flanges adapted to encircle the boss I8 on the cover and with an annular gasket 2l interposed between the lid and the top of the boss as shown in Figs. 3 and-,4 to provide a tight seal. The lid 28 is also provided -with a small breather hole 22 through which air may enter the reservoir.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, a handle for the' lid is shown as comprising an inverted trough-shaped member 23 that is soldered or otherwise secured to the top of the lid and extending forwardly beyond the front edge thereof to serve as a finger-piece 25 for raising the lid. The top of the member 23 overlies the breather hole 22 and thus serves as a shield or protector for preventing foreign matter from entering the reservoir.

The lid is pivotally mounted on the cover 4 by means of a pair of upwardly projecting spaced webs 21 apertured to receive a cotter-pin 28 upon which a sleeve 29 is journaled and which, in turn carries a pair of coil-springs 38 as shown in Fig. 2. Each spring 30 is arranged with one of its ends 3l extending rearwardly to rest against the top of the cover 4 while the other ends 32 reach forwardly beneath the shield 23 where they are soldered or otherwise connected to the top of the lid. The springs 30 thus serve as resilient hinges for normally maintaining the lid in closed position while being yieldable to permit raising of the lid during the filling of the reservoir 2.

' Rearwardly of the hinge connection above described the cover 4 is provided with an upwardly projecting boss 35 having an axial threaded hole 36. lScrewed into the hole 36 from the bottom of the' cover is the upper threaded end of a relatively small suction or feed tube 31 which reaches downwardly and forwardly and terminates in an offset end 38. A nut 33 on the threaded end of the tube 31 is set up against a lock-washer 46 and the under side of the cover 4 to hold the tube in position.A

Soldered or otherwise secured to the offset end 38 of the pipe 31 is a vertically extending tube or standpipe 42 which reaches upwardly therefrom with its upper end terminating slightly below the top of the reservoir 2. The lower ends of the tubes 38 and 42' pass downwardly through a pair of openings in the top of a hollow cylindrical box 50, hereinafter referred to as a measuring chamber, and the tubes are suitably. attached to the box as by applying solder around the pipes at their point of entrance to seal the joint. 'I'he measuring chamber 58 may be constructed from two sheet-metal parts 45 and 46 suitably joined together as shown in the drawings. The lower end of the inlet or standpipe 42 is elevated above the bottom of the chamber 56 while the end 38 of the outlet pipe 311s arranged close to the bottom of the chamber and` cut olf at an angle to its axis as shown in Fig. 4

.to form a baille wall between the lower end of the standpipe and the feed line.

The measuring chamber is supplied with lubricant from the main reservoir 2 through the medium of capillary elements such as wicks-to provide for a relatively slow but continuous flow of the lubricant at a predetermined rate. The

wicks may be of any suitable type and as shown are in the form of twisted wires carryingrelatively shortbers of cotton or like material. As shown in Fig. 5, each wick 55 is formed as a loop with one of its legs 56 inserted in the standpipe 42 and the other leg 51 extending downwardly toward the bottom of the reservoir 2. The lower ends of the legs 51 pass through wire loops 60 soldered to the top of thel measuring chamber 50 and are hooked or curled therearound to hold them in place, see Figs. 3 and 5. To insure proper saturation of the wicks 55 when the supply of lubricant in the reservoir is nearly exhausted the Wicks are provided with arms or branches 58 joined to the legs 51 and extendingv downwardly in close proximity with the bottom of the reservoir 2. The lower ends of the legs 51 and branches 58 of the wicks are submerged in the lubricant contained in ther reservoir 2 to become saturated and through capillary attraction the lubricant is drawn upwardly through the fibers...

thereof and caused to flow or drip downwardly into the pipe 42 and measuring chamber 50 for a purpose to be later explained.

A measuring pin 62 in the form of a short length of wire is set into the upper end of the pipe or tube 31 and is used for the purpose of restricting the size of the openingin the pipe and to present a dilution of the fuel charge in the intake manifold. 'I'he wire is flattened at .63 to provide an enlargement which rests against the end of the pipe 31 to hold it in position.

The boss 35, previously described as projecting upwardly from the top of the cover 4, is externally threaded to receive an elbow pipe-fitting 64 which is screwed down thereover. A pipe or tube 65 having one end joined to the elbow 64 by a threaded thimble 66 has its other end connected to kthe interior of the intake manifold 81 of the engine by means of a coupling E8 and a thimble 69, as shown in Fig. i, that together with the tube 31 constitutes a complete suction line. 'I'he improved apparatus having been described in detail the method of operation thereof will next be explained.

The lid 20 is raised against the action of the ,resilient hinge-members 30 by means of the nger-piece 25 and a supply of lubricant poured into the reservoir 2 through the opening I8 after which the lid is released andV caused to tightly engage the boss I8 surrounding the opening.

The position of the standpipe 42 with 'respect to the reservoir I2' is such that the upper open end of the standpipe is normally above the iiuid level in the reservoir for separating the measuring chamber from the reservoir and subjecting the measuring chamber to the atmosphere. As the lubricant Lis poured into the reservoir 2 a certain amount is deposited upon the wicks 55 arranged directly below the filler-opening I8 and immediately the wicks become saturated in this manner, capillary attraction is set up and the lubricant caused to flow along the fibers thereof from the tion the walls of the cylinders,'pistons, rings and valves are constantly lubricated by oil splashed or pumped upwardly from the crank-case supply. When the motor is stopped the'oil returns by gravity to the crank-case, draining the upper parts of the motor and leaving the cylinder walls, pistons and valves relatively dry. This condition may develop to such an extent that the motor is very hard to start, the diflculty being aggravated by the normal tendency of the crankcase oil to congeal when the engine remains idle.

' Another common difficulty heretofore has been l therewith into the cylinders.

the tendency of the valves and valve-seats to become coated and pitted'by carbonaceous products of combustion resulting in an ever-present liability to stick.

To overcome the diiiculties above noted the present invention makes use of the measuring chamber 50 in which a supply of oil is stored when the motor 'or engine is idle to be subsequently drawn into the combustion chamber when it is again started. WhenA the motor is stopped for but a few minutes only a small amount of lubricant will be required in its starting, and conversely, when the motor has been idley for a long period of time, as, for instance, overnight, a larger quantity is required. 1t will be apparent, therefore, that the oil will continuously how from the reservoir` 2 into the chamber 5i) while the engine is not running to collect a quantity of the oil in the chamber, that varies in amount in proportion to the time the motor is idle, and is always-sunicient to properly lubricate the engine when started. The oil segregated from the reservoir first fills the chamber 50, after which it may ow into the standpipe t2 until it attains a level equal to that in the reservoir. This condition represents the segregation of a maximum quantity of oil sumcient to start the motor under the most severe atmospheric conditions.

In starting, as the motor makes its initial revolution, the suction created in the cylinders draws the oil from the chamber 5G through the tubes 3l and 55 into the intake manifold Bl where it mixes with the atomized gasoline and is carried After the lubricant is substantially exhausted from the chamber 50 in starting the engine, the suction continues t'o draw the lubricant into the cylinders in small quantities as it is supplied to the chamber 5G by the wicks 55.

The oil feeding from the chamber 50 during the normal functioning of the motor is atomized by the air sucked in through the vent opening 22 and the standpipe d2 and the lubricant is thus broken up and aerated to form a spray. The oil spray thus introduced into the cylinders besides lubricating the moving parts, has a tendency to prevent carbon from being deposited on the valves, pistons, and walls of the combustion chamber and thus effectually eliminates the vknocking and clinking caused by preignition.

The motor is thus caused to function at maximum capacity over long periods without requiring removal of carbon deposits or regrinding of the valves.

en it is desired to vary the capacity of a standard device to adapt it for use with various sizes of engines, the suction tube and the elbow are disconnected from the threaded boss 35 and a dierent measuring pin 62 of a proper size is substituted lto give the desired result. In this way a single apparatus may be manufactured that can be adapted for use on any size of engine by merely selecting a pin of the proper size to give the desired orice between the pin and the tube, and thus vary the capacity of the device.

Having now described the invention, and its mode of operation it will`be apparent to one skilled in the art that the apparatus operates under all conditions to measure a chargeA of lubricant `while the engine is idle and supply the charge to the engine upon starting, and thereafter continuously supply a spray of the lubricant to the engine during normal operation to constantly lubricate and decarbonize the elements in the combustion chamber of the engine cylinders. It will also be apparent that the apparatus is capable of variations in its size and form to adapt it for various sizes and types of equipment with which it may be used. For example, the capacity of the measuring chamber may be varied in accordance with the size of the internal engine to which it is applied, as a passenger vehicle would require less capacity than the engine of a truck.

Further, it will be apparent that the device as described and illustrated is capable of other uses than supplying lubricant to the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines; and that various modifications may be made in the structure and arrangement of the parts that include the novel features of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Therefore, without limiting myself in this respect, I claim:

l.. ln an apparatus for supplying lubricant to an internal combustion engine, the combination with the intake manifold of the engine, of a reservoir for the lubricant, a measuring chamber for receiving and storing lubricant, capillary means for continuously transferring lubricant from the reservoir to the measuring chamber at a predetermined rate, and a suction line extending from the measuring chamber to the intake manifold. I

2. In an apparatus for supplying fluid such as lubricant to an engine, a reservoir, a measuring chamber, capillary means for continuously transferring uid from the reservoir to the chamber at a predetermined rate, and a feed line leading upwardly from the bottom of the chamber, said measuring chamber being adapted to segregate and store a quantity of iiuid fed thereto by the capillary means in an amount commensurate with the duration of time'in which the engine remains idle with no suction in the feed line until the measuring chamber is lled with the fluid.

3. In an apparatus for supplying iiuid such as lubricant to an engine, a reservoir, a measuring chamber within the reservoir, and a wick for continuously supplying the chamber with lubricant from the reservoir at a predetermined rate, a feed line leading upwardly from the bottom of the measuring chamber, and a suction line connected to the feed line, said measuring chamber being adapted to segregate and store a quantity of fluid fed thereto from the reservoir in an amount commensurate with the duration of time in which the engine remains idle with the suction line inoperative until lthe measuring chamber is filled with the fluid.

4. A lubricating system for internal combustion engines -comprising an intake manifold, a reservoir for lubricant, a measuring chamber for receiving and storing a quantity of lubricant while the engine is idle, capillary means for continuously supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the chamber, and a feed line connecting the chamber with the intake manifold, said lubricant stored in the measuring chamber being automatically transferred from the chamber to the manifold by the suction in the feed line when the engine is operated.

5. In a lubricating system for the combustion chamber of internal combustion engines, an intake manifold, a reservoir containing a lubricant, a chamber for segregating a measured quantity of lubricant from the reservoir in an amount commensurate with the duration. of time 'during which the engine is idle until the chamber becomes filled, a capillary means for continuously supplying the chamber with lubricant from the reservoir at a predetermined rate, and a suction yline connecting the measuring chamber with the intake manifold.

6. A lubricating system for internal combustion engines comprising an intake manifold, a reservoir for lubricant, a measuring and arating chamber having a tube communicating with the atmosphere, a feed line between the chamber and the intake manifold, and a capillary means for continuously supplying the chamber with lubricant from the reservoir whereby the chamber will store a charge qf lubricant while the engine is idle that is supplied to the engine upon starting and thereafter arates the lubricant to form a spray that is continuously supplied to the engine while running.

7. In a lubricating system for the combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine, an intake manifold, a reservoir for containing a. lubricant, a chamber for segregating a measured quantity of lubricant from the reservoir in an amount commensurate with theduration of time during which the engine is idle until the chamber becomes filled, a standpipe extending upwardly from the chamber to a position above the lubricant level in the reservoir, a wick within the standpipe and extending into the lubricant in the reservoir for supplying lubricant to the chamber, a suction line connecting the measuring chamber. with the intake manifold, and means Within the suction line for controlling the ow of lubricant therein.

8. In a lubricating device, a reservoir for a supply of lubricant, a measuring chamber, a wick connecting the chamber with the reservoir to continuously supply lubricant to the chamber, and a feed line leading upwardly from the bottom of the chamber for connection with a suction line whereby when no suction occurs in the line a quantity of fluid will be supplied to the measuring chamber from the reservoir in an amount commensurate with the duration of time in which the motor stands idle until the chamber becomes filled.

9. In a lubricating device, a reservoir for a supply of lubricant, a measuring chamber, a standpipe communicating with the chamber and extending upwardly above the normal lubricant level in the reservoir, a wick having an arm in the standpipe and an arm extending downwardly into the reservoir for continuously supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the chamber, branches on said depending arm for increasing the absorbing surface of the wick, and a feed tube leading from said chamber.

10. In a lubricating device, a reservoir for a supply of lubricant, a cover for said reservoir, a suction tube depending from said cover, a measuring chamber carried by said tube, a standpipe integral with the chamber and extending upwardly above the normal lubricant level in the reservoir, a plurality of wicks in said standpipe having depending arms extending downwardly into said reservoir for continuously supplying lubricant from the reservoir to the chamber by capillary action, and branches on said depending arms for 'increasing the absorbing surface of said wicks.

ll. In combination, a reservoir for a fluid having an open top, a cover for the reservoir, a measuring chamber depending from said cover,

.capillary means supported by said chamber for .continuously transferring iiuid from the reservoir .to the chamber at a predetermined rate, and a suction line extending from the interior of the chamber through said cover.

12. In combination, a reservoir for lubricants or the like having an open top, a cover for the reservoir, a tube depending from the cover and extending through the cover at one end, a measuring chamber fixed tothe opposite end of the tube and communicating therewith, a standpipe extending upwardly from the measuring chamber, and a wick carried by the standpipe for transferring uid from the reservoir to the measuring chamber at a predetermined rate.

13. In combination, a reservoir for lubricants having an open top, a cover for the reservoir having a ller opening and an apertured boss, a vented closure for said filler opening, a depending suction tube connected with the cover in the apertured boss, a measuring chamber iixed to the end of the tube and communicating therewith, a standpipe extending upwardly from the measuring chamber, a Wick carried by the standpipe, and means on the cover for connectionto a support.

14. In combination, a glass receptacle having an open top, an annular ring connected to the open top of the receptacle, a gasket between the ring and the receptacle top, a cover for the receptacle having a depending measuring chamber and suction tube communicating with the exterior of the cover, and a yielding gasket between the cover and ring.

15. In combination, an open-ended glass receptacle having screw threads on the sides adjacent the top, an annular ring having screw threads for cooperation with the screw threads on the receptacle, a cover for the receptacle having a depending suction tube extending through the cover. a measuring chamber carried by the tube, a standpipe extending upwardly from the chamber, a wick within the standpipe, and a pair of gaskets between the receptacle and the ring and between the ring and the cover, respectively, for forming a yielding uid-tight connection.

ANDREW C. DANVER. 

